It is known, as for examples from commonly owned U.S. patent applications Nos. 292,788 and 292,789 filed Aug. 14, 1981 for a railway-rail mount for one of a pair of railroad rails having inner sides turned toward each other and outer sides turned away from each other to have a base supported on the ground under the one rail and formed with an upwardly open recess having inner and outer base side flanks respectively generally under and parallel to the inner and outer sides and end base flanks extending between the side base flanks and transverse to the rail. These side flanks form with the vertical an angle different from that of the end flanks and may even be different from each other. In addition the end flanks can be at different angles to each other to compensate for one-way loading of the mount. An insert, for instance a tie or metal plate, attached to the rail is received in the recess and has respective side and end insert flanks juxtaposed with, generally parallel to, and spaced from the respective base flanks. Respective side and end elastomeric bodies that are inclined to the vertical lie between the base and insert flanks and support the insert in the recess of the base.
Such arrangements have proven to be very effective in use, allowing a train to run smoothly on them and electrically insulating them, as is often necessary. Still they are fairly complex assemblies that are expensive to fabricate, especially in the field.
In order to reduce the possibility of the rail and insert pulling up out of the base, each base normally is split along a horizontal plane into an upper part that overreaches the insert carrying the rail, and a lower part that is fixed to the ground. Bolts secure these parts together, so that the assembly has quite a few parts.
Another disadvantage of the known systems is that, when the rail is being used to conduct electricity, it is fairly easy for a conductive object that falls on the assembly to ground out the rail. For instance a metal bar or wrench can fall across the top of the rail and the top of the outer edge of the base and form a good electrical connection therebetween.